Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction 2021 sales figures

A bottle of Grand Constance 1821, thought to be one of one only 12 bottles to still exist globally, reached a record-breaking R420 000 (unaudited and excluding VAT) at the Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction this past Saturday, the lot acquired by a UK-based client.

The event (previously the Nederburg Auction) was held in association with acclaimed house Christie’s at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch, bidders placing their bids in person and online from across the world in the auction’s first ever hybrid format event. At the end of play, total sales stood at R2.22 million (110 lots) for just under 2 140 litres of wine sold compared to R2.62 million for just under 3 000 litres of wine (124 items) in 2019. This year, the auction high rand per 750ml bottle was R778 on average – an 18% increase against 2019’s R660.

The average price per bottle of white wine was R 490 for a 750 ml bottle.  The best white wine performers were DeMorgenzon Reserve Chardonnay 2016, David & Nadia Hoë-Steen Mixed Case and DeMorgenzon Divas 2017.

For red wines, the Cabernet Collective 2009 mixed case of 12 fetched at an impressive R21 500. The average price per bottle for red wines was R804.

For fortified wines, highest bid received was for Monis Vintage Tawny Port 1990 at R1000 per bottle. The average for fortified was R662 per bottle.

For sweet wines, hightes bid received was for the Nederburg Edelkeur 1999.  The average on sweet wines was R1 812 per bottle (correcting for the price on the Grand Constance 1821, which isn’t factored into the average).

82% of all sales by value went to South African buyers.

The next Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction is set for 8 October 2022.